The Color of Butterflies
by KousukeAsazuki
Summary: 100 LJ prompts focusing on Aizen, Shinji, and all of their in-betweens. -Five prompts per chapter; rated for implications and Shinji's everything.-
1. Chapter 1

I'll only put a note up on the first chapter just to say hello. Welcome to my attempt at exactly one hundred drabbles surrounding every aspect possible of the relationship between Aizen and Shinji. Seeing as how the subject matter is so restrictive and there are so many, these will undoubtedly range from the two hating each other to toleration and perhaps even romance (love?).I may throw a couple into an AU-type setting just so I can cover some of the less-likely scenarios. Other characters will likely be mentioned, but it'll probably be brief. Annnnd... dialogue will be brief, if existent at all. How much of that even needed explaining? Ah, well... Most of these will be extremely short, as drabbles are meant to be, but that also means they'll be easy to update~ I hope you enjoy!

Blanket Disclaimer: I don't owe any of this; the ideas are probably even recycled, by now.

* * *

**Prompt: **001. Crash

"_And then you came __**crashing**__ in like the realest thing..."_

"Half of My Heart" by John Mayer

Everyone trusted Aizen. From his time as an academy student to his brief stint as an educator all the way through his promotion to lieutenant. He was loved, admired, adored, worshiped, praised, and revered. No matter what he said, no matter how far-fetched it was, whomever he told would believe it. He could tell someone the sky was really green, and they'd have thought there was just something wrong with their own vision.

It came naturally, really. He didn't try too hard to be exceptionally kind or benevolent. And, of course, the closer he let someone in, the more they believed him and every little lie he told. What reason did they have to think otherwise, after all? His face was far too honest and his tone far too gentle to be labeled as someone evil.

Then came Shinji Hirako, crashing into Aizen's life, mistrusting him from the very start and never believing a word he said. He saw Aizen for the fake he was.

And it was the realest thing Aizen had ever known.

* * *

**Prompt:** 002. Dim

_"My eyes are closed, I'm safe alone in my darkest **dim**."_  
"Darkest (Dim)" by Tokimonsta

Shinji loved to keep his office bright and airy. He really hated being cooped up or felt like he was shut away at all. Besides, who wanted to walk into some dusty, low-lit office and try to get anything done? Even during the winter when outside wasn't much brighter than inside, he kept the windows open. Aizen always told him he would get sick if he let the cold air in.

Shinji always told him to shut the hell up.

If anyone had known the true relationship between Aizen and Shinji- how the two despised each other and never trusted one another with anything- then they might not have found it too surprising that, when the lieutenant inherited his old captain's spot and, by proxy, office that he never opened it up to let the sunlight filter in. He didn't do it as some sort of petty revenge or a slap in the face to a man who would never see such a thing. He wasn't that childish.

Aizen simply found it easier to keep secrets in dim light.

* * *

**Prompt:** 003. Futile

_"Resistance is **futile**."_  
The Borg (Star Trek)

He tried very hard. Harder at first, when he first realized, but he never really stopped trying. He tried to figure this other man out. He tried to understand this person; get inside his head. Of course, most of this man's actions were typical and could be easily predicted by almost anyone. But then there were times where his actions almost seemed to contradict his words; almost, but not fully.

And then they had no contact for over 100 years and it seemed like the enigma would never be fully discovered. And then they met in battle and, despite a sense of familiarity, they had both changed far too much that even the basic understanding he'd had of that other person had wiled away into almost nothing. And he realized, even as they were fighting, even as they were both, eventually, defeated, that this unknown aspect of the other man would never be figured out. At least, not by him.

And Aizen Sousuke met the first futile venture he had ever embarked on in trying to comprehend Hirako Shinji.

* * *

**Prompt:** 004. Erratic

_"Only **erratics** recognize errors in patterns of a perfect design."_

"Erratic Patterns" by Carbon Based Lifeforms

He could easily be called erratic by pretty much anyone. Even if there were crazier members of the Court Guards, Shinji always seemed to be labeled as 'wild'. Definitely in comparison to his lieutenant- even the one before Aizen- Shinji was a bit loopy and off-the-wall. At least, that's what he was told.

He didn't understand it, really. Sure, he was a bit loud and rough around the edges, but hell! That was practically the entire 11th Division! He didn't really do weird things; at least, he didn't think he did. For a long while, he just shrugged the comments off and figured the idiots didn't know what they were talking about. They didn't understand him. Hiyori might have, but she just loved to insult him, regardless of the truth behind it.

But when Shinji thought about it, it wasn't so bad. If everyone else thought him so different, then at least he could say that his erraticism came with perks. For one, he could say whatever he wanted and do whatever he wanted and barely have an eye bat in his direction. And the other, more vital importance was that, if he were erratic, then Aizen was his polar opposite; stable, logical, and consistent. It was hard to find a flaw with those traits, as far as everyone else was concerned, but with Shinji's more erratic view of the man, he saw right through him.

Yes, indeed, Shinji didn't mind being erratic in the least.

* * *

**Prompt:** 005. Loved

_"You can look back and say: Yes, you were **loved**. "_  
"You Were Loved" by Whitney Houston

It was always said that with one came the other. Opposites always attracted; positives came with negatives, nights came with days, highs came with lows, hurts came with comforts, and hates came with loves.

For most of his life, Shinji could believe this. He found that no matter how good something was, there was always a bit of a bittersweet taste to it. Even victories came with the defeat of someone. So why had he thought that only the good things came with their negative counterparts? Why had he not realized, when he first felt that pang of distaste in his gut that it would, eventually, be complimented with something much lighter?

Frankly speaking, Shinji could never even fathom liking his lieutenant, let alone caring for him or loving him. The thought was unspeakable. But those opposites are always with each other and, though he ignored it and never voiced it, Shinji knew himself that there was something else there for Aizen. Of course, the thought was buried under years of hatred and revenge and Shinji had thought he'd finally banished that odd feeling that never really belonged.

Of course, Shinji had been wrong before.

It was only after Aizen's defeat, when he was being prepared to be sealed away for a very, very long time, that Shinji would speak the words to him. As he stood there, mere feet away from the other man, who was bound almost entirely by restrictive straps, his voice broke through the silence and before they had faded from the still air, Shinji was gone once again.

"You were loved."


	2. Chapter 2

**Prompt: **006. Soft

"_Sing me something __**soft**__; sad and delicate, or loud and out of key. Sing me anything."_

Existentialism on Prom Night- Straylight Run

Soft was not something associated with Shinji. He was not delicate or gentle or even really that graceful. He was not beautiful or elegant or defenseless. He was, really and truthfully, kind of brutal and harsh. His body was always tensed at the shoulders and his expressions were sharp and severe, whether he was laughing or scowling. He was, in a word, discord to the harmony all around him.

But oh, when he sang; _that_ was a different story. Aizen never let on that he heard the other mumbling the lyrics of some stupid song he picked up on his latest trip to the transient world. He never said anything because he knew Shinji would stop as soon as he did and, really, he never wanted him to stop. It was one of the only times he saw anything really good about the other man. He was almost jealous, if he thought about it, because as well-spoken and articulate as he was, Aizen couldn't really sing well. He could carry a melody, perhaps, but there was something missing. Something subtle and suggestive that Shinji somehow possessed.

Something soft and, ultimately, his.

* * *

**Prompt**: 007. Hold

"_**Hold**__ on, if you feel like letting go; __**hold**__ on, it gets better than you know."_

Hold On by Good Charlotte

Despair. Frustration. _Hatred_. So many things were coursing through Shinji's veins and the man in front of him was the cause of it all. Aizen Sousuke. Just thinking about the name caused his teeth to grit against each other. He hated this m an. He wanted to destroy this man. But what could he do like this? On the ground, half of his sight obstructed by the monstrous experiment he had become a part of. He was helpless.

For now.

He let Aizen talk, heard his words, but his brain was processing nothing but thoughts of revenge. For himself, for his friends; hell, just _because_. Because Aizen deserved it. Aizen deserved to die and he deserved to suffer. Shinji would make sure that it happened, even if it seemed like it never would at the present time. So, as he was watching his death near closer and closer and as Aizen bid him farewell to this world, Shinji didn't dwell on anything. His life didn't flash before his eyes and no parting thoughts were sent to anyone.

All he needed to do was hold on.

* * *

**Prompt**: 008. Shackles

"_Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be __**shackles**__ limiting our vision."_

Salvador Dali

Sometimes, Aizen amused himself with reflecting on his old life back in Soul Society. Generally, these times were when he had felt extremely accomplished, and he allowed himself a bit of a joke as a reward for whatever great thing he had done that day, like creating an Arrancar.

Usually he thought about more recent events, like wondering if Ukitake took his words to heart or if Hinamori was still in intensive care for the damage he'd done to her. But every so often, and it couldn't be helped, his mind strayed just a bit further down the path of history and brought him to musings of his old captain. Shinji had always intrigued him, to an extent, and Aizen thought it a shame that he hadn't been able to bring the other man along with him.

Of course, Shinji would never have it, but Aizen really wondered why that was. An offer to live in Hueco Mundo with him was, essentially, an offer to survive. But more than that, and what he had perhaps wanted to offer Shinji more than anything, was freedom. From the restrictions and complications that Soul Society presented him with. Aizen didn't appreciate birds being kept in cages; wild things should be allowed to roam free across their lands and Shinji was most definitely a wild thing just itching to burst free of his confinement. He would have never accepted Aizen's offer to betray Soul Society. Aizen knew that, so he did the next best thing.

Since he could not hand Shinji the key to his shackles, he instead cut them loose.

* * *

**Prompt**: 009. Broken

"_The __**broken**__ locks were a warning you got inside my head. I tried my best to be guarded. I'm an open book instead."_

Broken- Lifehouse

Shinji realized it far too late. After the masks had formed over his friends' faces. After Urahara saved them from their certain death. Even after they escaped Soul Society and regained their sanity and gained control of their new power. It wasn't really until Hiyori had demanded, not as seriously as Shinji took it, why he hadn't just killed Aizen when he started getting really suspicious.

That night, Shinji tried to define a point when he could have pinned Aizen as too suspicious to be allowed to roam free. He thought back to the first day he saw the guy; yes, he definitely had his suspicions then. But as far a distance as he kept Aizen at, and as much as he told the creep to his face that he didn't trust him and he was sure he was up to something weird, Shinji began to filter through his memories and reached one, dreadful conclusion that knotted his stomach and made bile rise up into his throat. The more he said he didn't trust Aizen- to himself, to Aizen, to everyone else- the more he began to let his guard down.

Mistrust, as he learned, was not nearly enough.

* * *

**Prompt**: 010. Precious

"Hey, Sousuke! Give it back!" Of all the times for his lieutenant to finally act _playful_, did it have to be during such an important part of Shinji's day?

"It was only in defense, Captain Hirako," the mild-mannered man insisted, studying the angered man from his position atop the office's roof. "I needed a bargaining tool."

"There's no way it's an equal value!" Shinji shouted up to his subordinate, eyes narrowed. Between his fingers, Aizen's glasses were delicately clutched; Aizen's own digits, in exchange, were holding onto a very well-loved hairbrush.

"I assure you," Aizen spoke with a smile, "that they are equally precious."

"S'that so?" Shinji wondered, looking down to the object in his hand. "In that case, give it back."

A wary look was sent and a moment later, Aizen joined Shinji on the ground, relinquishing his prize. As expected, his hand stayed outstretched, waiting for his glasses to be returned to him. Instead, he was met with the unmistakable sound of crunching glass and stared, wide-eyed as the frames were crumpled in his captain's hand.

"Bullshit," Shinji informed him, disgruntled. "Ya can see perfectly well without those things. My hair'd be a mess if I didn't have this."

With that, Shinji marched back into his office, leaving Aizen to his own devices in ways of mending his 'precious' thing.

I've decided to take a different approach with these prompts, as the typical way, I've realized, is completely overdone and too hideous to continue on for 100 prompts. The rest will definitely reflect the writing style of the last.


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt:** 011. Odds and Ends

"Did ya remember the sugar?"

"Yes, sir."

"An' the butter?"

"Of course, sir."

"An' the _coffee_?"

A slight twitch. "I wouldn't forget it, sir."

Shinji sat, cross-legged and suspicious, in front of a small banquet. As he looked over his feast, which he would probably break down and let Aizen partake in, he concluded that the other man hadn't forgotten anything. Not that he ever did. Sometimes, Shinji thought it might be worth going without a bit of cream in his drink to rub it in the other man's face that he actually missed out on something. But he never did.

"Every little odd an' end," Shinji muttered, motioning to a spot across from him. "Well, sit down already! Whadda ya waitin' for?"

If he had been a more honest person, Aizen would have told his captain that he was waiting to be excused, so he could enjoy a cup of tea in peace. As it was, he simply smiled graciously at the offer and took a seat.

"Thank you for the meal."

"Whatever, Sousuke."

* * *

**Prompt:** 012. Tea

"What the hell is this?" Shinji sniffed suspiciously at the bitter-smelling liquid inside his cup. Of course, he knew what the actual drink was, but _why_ it was being handed to him was a completely different matter.

"It's tea, sir," Aizen stated, as straight-faced and serious as could be, as if really confirming something Shinji didn't know.

"I know it's tea!" the blonde shouted, eyebrow twitching in annoyance. "Why are ya givin' it to me? That's your type o' thing."

"You should drink more tea, captain," Aizen informed him, dutifully, "it's good for your skin. And your health." He thought for another moment. "And your hair."

"...It really does all that?" Of course Shinji was no stranger to the lightly-tinted beverage, but he preferred something much stronger. Ever since he'd had a cup of coffee during a mission in the real world, he couldn't get enough of the stuff. It had been a while since he'd really considered tea an option, unless he was stuck in a meeting with Yamamoto or visiting some stuffy old guy, which Soul Society had its wealth of.

"It really does," Aizen insisted and watched, gratified, as his captain drank down the cup in one go.

* * *

**Prompt:** 013. Twisted

As usual, Shinji was eyeing his lieutenant suspiciously. Everything this guy did was kind of _off_ in one way or another, so he felt entirely justified to survey him with the utmost caution. It was only more suspect that Aizen never really questioned the looks. Maybe he enjoyed it. He seemed like he was into some weird shit.

"Twisted bastard," Shinji muttered under his breath, turning his attention back to the paperwork at hand.

"Did you say something, sir?" Aizen asked in his ever-polite tone.

"I said you're a freak," Shinji repeated, a bit louder and loads more obnoxiously. "I bet you're int' all sortsa kinky shit in the bedroom, ain't ya? Probably why ya ain't got a girlfriend."

Aizen remained silent, unsure of how to respond to the accusations. His captain had labeled him as many things, usually with some merit behind the insults, but these had hit him way out of left field. Keeping his eyes as far away from the other man as he could, Aizen attempted to focus on his work and not attempt to recreate Shinji's train of thought that led to such statements. Sometimes, he underestimated just how twisted his elder could think.

* * *

**Prompt:** 014. Echo

"The damages resulting from the activity of the Eleventh Division members have, once again, exceeded our available repair funds," Aizen announced.

"Zaraki's a wild dog, 'is men ain't no better, an' they blew up a buncha shit that we're too broke t' fix."

Aizen cleared his throat lightly. "The Fourth Division is recruiting volunteers to assist with the clean-up of the sewer systems. Any and all help is, while unexpected, duly appreciated."

"The twerps are tired of cleanin' up your shit, but they ain't really expectin' ya t' do it 'cause the only scary one in that division is their captain, an' she sure as hell ain't worried 'bout it."

A slight twitch of a bespectacled eye. "And Captain Commander Yamamoto once again reminds us that any and all items brought back from the living world must be submitted for inspection and approval."

"The old man don't want ya bringin' drugs back unless you're sharin', so 'fess up before ya screw us all over."

"...Captain Hirako?"

"S'that all the announcements?" Shinji wondered, peering over his lieutenant's shoulder before looking back to the rest of the group Aizen had been announcing to.

"No," Aizen said, "but what exactly are you doing in a lieutenant's meeting?"

"I heard ya were the spokesperson for these get t'gethers," Shinji informed him, "an' so I thought I'd do everyone a favor an' spice up the information, since you're so damn borin' when ya talk."

"Idiot!" Hiyori shouted from her seat near the back of the table. "No one wants t' hear your big mouth! You're like a stupid echo!"

"I don't remember askin' your opinion on it!" Shinji snapped back, crossing his arms and looking to his lieutenant. "Continue."

After a moment, Aizen folded the papers in his hands and turned his attention to his fellow second-in-commands. "Finally, any involvement by a captain in a lieutenant's meeting is expressly prohibited. Please, respectfully relay this message to your superiors." His head tilted in Shinji's direction just a tad. "Captain Hirako-"

"Ah, shut up!" Shinji huffed, slinking toward the door. "That ain't even on any of the papers..."

"Goodnight, Captain."

* * *

**Prompt:** 015. Soothe

"Hnng, right there! Ah, fuck yeah- shit, Sousuke! Don't stop, now, dammit! Harder!"

A faint color tinged the lieutenant's cheeks as he glanced up to the reclining man. "Sir, do you have to make such noises? It's only a foot massage."

"Eh?" Shinji cracked open an eye to glance down at his kneeling subordinate. "Whadda ya mean? These're my foot massage noises."

"Perhaps so," Aizen conceded lightly, turning his attention back to the other's foot, "but it may sound suspicious to anyone who overheard them."

"Like what?" The blonde snorted. "You've got a dirty mind, kid. Ain't no way I'd shack up with ya, anyway." He sent a glance to the skilled fingers working out every sore muscle in his left foot. "It's just soothin'."

"Is it?" Aizen wondered, a bit amused. "I can only imagine the sounds you make when you're excited." A second later, Shinji's right foot was shoved into his face.

"Don't think about me like that, ya creep!" He really needed to find a better masseuse.


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt: **016. Fight

"You two must argue a lot." It was an observation made by the ever-aware Kyouraku Shunsui, directed at one of his best friends and said man's unfortunate subordinate.

Shinji, who had taken the liberty of inviting the other captain over for a post-celebration celebration of his own fifty-year mark as the Fifth Division's leader, glanced between the two before snorting lightly. "No way. We never fight."

"Ohh?" A lazy gaze slid its way over to the subordinate. "Is that really true?"

Aizen nodded a quiet consent and couldn't help but smile faintly at the visiting captain's suspicious look. "Captain Hirako is my superior. It's not my place to question his judgments."

A flat moment of silence passed before Shinji sent a scowl toward his lieutenant. "Hey, Sousuke! Ya ain't gotta be so obvious with that fake attitude! Ya question things I do all the time!"

"Do I?" the youngest of the group wondered, tilting his head in mock confusion. "My apologies, sir. I mean no disrespect, of course."

"Liar! Stop puttin' on a show just 'cause Shunsui's here!" Shinji scoffed, turning his attention back to Kyouraku. "Ya see what I gotta deal with?"

"Calm and respectful?" Kyouraku nodded serenely. "It must be Hell."

* * *

**Prompt:** 017. Naked

Shinji's brow furrowed in immensely deep thought as he surveyed the disheveled room around him. A slight rustle of covers caught his attention and he pivoted his head to take in the sight of the man next to him, rousing from his slumber.

"...Sousuke?"

It took a moment for the brunette to realize he was being addressed, another for him to blink his mind awake, a third for him to sit up in a proper position, and a fourth to take in the situation as a whole. The fifth brought a screaming headache and a vague remembrance of something about a celebration the night before, and more alcohol than he was sure even Kyouraku had seen in one night.

"Captain?" he finally responded.

"Why are ya in my bed?"

"I can only imagine the reasons, sir."

"Don't be imaginin' things like that!" Shinji gave an irritated sigh and turned his attention away from the other. "Why the hell are ya _naked_?"

Aizen took a good look at his bare upper half and could tell by the feel of sheets against his legs that his lower regions were no more spared the exposure. He also couldn't help but notice that the other man was in a similar position.

"You are, as well."

"Eh?" Shinji gave a shrug. "I always sleep naked. But, an' I can't stress how much more important this one is, I also sleep _alone_."

A faint grin tugged at Aizen's lips. "Always alone, sir? That can't be healthy."

"Th-that ain't what I meant!" Shinji exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at the other man. "An' what're ya still doin' here? Get out!" The covers shifted and immediately Shinji turned his head away, covering his eyes tightly with one hand. As soon as Aizen was gone, he would be thoroughly cleaning his room and ignoring _any_ signs of evidence that anything other than sleeping ever happened.

* * *

**Prompt:** 018. Push

"Are ya sure this is safe?" Shinji had been atop many high towers and buildings in his time and the dizzying heights that humans would be terrified of barely even fazed him. That was, however, when he was in control of his spiritual pressure and could easily catch himself from falling, if he even fell in the first place. In a gigai, strapped to an elastic rope, and perched on the edge of a bridge, he was beginning to understand the fear.

"It was your idea, sir," Aizen reminded him patiently, tilting his head in curiosity. "Do you wish to back out?" The reaction was undoubted.

"I ain't backin' out!" Shinji snapped, shooting a quick glare over his shoulder before turning his sights back to the menacing obstacle ahead. "I'm just startin' t' think this bungee jumpin' thing is kinda dumb."

Aizen couldn't agree more, but the sight _was_ priceless. "If you're sure you'll continue, then please jump."

"Ya ain't gotta sound so happy 'bout the idea," Shinji muttered. "Sounds like ya want the rope t' snap or somethin'."

Instead of responding verbally, and positive that quite a few people would kill to be in his place right then, Aizen stepped forward. With one push, his captain was hurtled over the side of the bridge, screaming obscenities the entire way down.

* * *

**Prompt:** 019. Alive

"_You're quite lucky to be alive."_

Though the words had been spoken hours ago, they rang in Shinji's head as if Unohana had just relayed them moments ago. He could even almost feel her presence still in the room and the heavy realization that he owed someone his life. Someone, he mused, that he did not wish to owe a single thing, let alone something as serious as his entire being.

"Captain Hirako?"

When Shinji looked up, he had to admit he was fooled for a moment by the real concern reflected in his lieutenant's eyes. His next thoughts convinced him otherwise, and he attempted to define a hint of condescension or disgust mingled in with the worry.

When he couldn't pick any particular thing out, he forced his brain to implant it in his memory, so he could continue hating the man in front of him.

"M'fine," Shinji muttered, shifting to look out the window by his bed. He _was_ fine, but he had nearly not been. He would have been, certainly, if he hadn't been trying to protect some Rukongai kids from the assaulting Hollow. But there were always unforseen complications, and he most definitely hadn't forseen nearly being consumed by the soul-hungry beasts.

Aizen could take a hint and he hadn't expected his captain to open up to him, anyway. He was sure the other man was putting up his defenses because he was ashamed at how easily he had been taken down or embarrassed at what a fatal mistake he had made in battle. Aizen wanted to assure him that even the most skilled fighters slipped up and no one was guaranteed a win in every battle, even if they were as strong as his captain was. But he knew, especially coming from him, that such words would only sound demeaning and injure the other's bruised pride.

He would have many opportunities to point out Shinji's flaws. For the time being, he opted for a silent bow and a quick exit to leave the blonde to his thoughts.

* * *

**Prompt**: 020. New

"I thought 'e hated me, Shunsui."

"I think it's obvious that he doesn't."

"He wasn't even _with _me. The bastard _followed _me out. Said 'e had a bad feelin' an' got worried. Ya think it's all bullshit?"

"It's hard to say," the elder Shinigami admitted with a teasing smile, "but I don't think he would have rescued you, if he wished for your death. Like you said, he wasn't even supposed to be there. He could have pretended like he never saw anything. But that's not like Sousuke."

"It's exactly like Sousuke," Shinji countered. "Always twistin' things t' fit in his story."

"Well, even if that's true, then it just means he wanted his story to be 'I saved my captain's life' rather than 'I lost my captain in the line of duty'. Or however he would say it."

Shinji didn't really care how Aizen would phrase anything. He had been so content in their mutual distrust of each other that he never thought he'd have to consider how he'd react if the other actually did something for him that he didn't demand. He certainly hadn't asked to be saved.

"Don't worry about it so much," Kyouraku suggested, tilting his head back to look up at the blue skies above, "maybe this can just be the start of a new relationship between you two."

Shinji thought on the possibility for a moment, then promptly allowed his body to flop back against the ground. "As if."


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt:** 020. Born

"Why's it _look_ like that?" Shinji was currently stationed in the transient world with his lieutenant and they had happened upon a bakery, displaying a festively-pink cake. It was in honor of the blooming of the cherry blossom trees, and was accordingly detailed with icing imitations of the pale petals.

"It's to celebrate, I believe," Aizen offered, sending his own look of distaste toward the food.

"It don't look right," Shinji decided, crossing his arms. "It's probably poisoned or somethin'."

"Always so cautious." It was difficult to tell whether the words were a compliment or an insult. "Have you always been that way?"

"Cautious?" The blonde's head tipped upward in thought for a moment. "Ever since the day I was born."

A faint smile lined Aizen's lips. "Oh? Have you been so interesting for quite that long, as well?"

A wary look was given and Shinji snorted lightly before beginning his advancement down the sidewalk once more, the cake having lost his interest. "Just about as long as ya've been so damn creepy."

"Since the day I was born?"

"Damn right."

* * *

**Prompt:** 022. Murmur

It was strange, Aizen thought, that he hadn't seen his captain all day. The paperwork had been completed and there were no other, major tasks for their division to undertake. He was sure the other man wasn't in a captain's meeting, since at least two others had been by during the day to see the absent leader. Even though Shinji usually shoved all of his work off onto his subordinates, he was usually always around somewhere. Aizen figured it was mostly to keep an eye on things. his captain was a bit of a control freak.

But he didn't mind it, in the least. After what felt like a serious overexposure of Shinji's everything, the mild-mannered man was happy to welcome a bit of silence into his life. He knew it wouldn't last for long, as he was sure Shinji would be back soon enough, and so he took every moment in stride, allowing the calm to relax him. Dealing with Shinji, after all, could be extremely stressful.

As the silence settled into his mind, though, Aizen found it entirely unfitting. He wanted to enjoy it- had really tried his best- but it seemed so _wrong_. Did he really crave the other's presence that much? He let out a faint sigh.

"You are a truly frightening man, Captain Hirako." The words were no louder than a murmur, but they broke the silence just enough to settle Aizen's nerves, breathing an air of life into the stillness for a single moment. It would be enough until Shinji returned.

* * *

**Prompt: **023. Devious

"He's up t' somethin'."

It had been quite a while since either of them had spoken, and Kensei had been wondering when Shinji would break the peaceful calm. It never took him very long.

"Who?" he wondered in a gruff voice. Shinji was constantly suspicious, so it was hard to say who he would pick next to accuse of something.

"Aizen, of course." Who else would he be talking about? Duh, Kensei.

"Of course," the other man repeated with a roll of his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me," Shinji demanded with a bit of a frown. "He _is_."

"Okay, okay." He really didn't feel like getting into another argument with Shinji about how his lieutenant had really never done anything wrong and half of the other captains would kill to have someone as dedicated and polite as Aizen Sousuke, Kensei included. "So, what's he up to?"

"Why should I know?" If Shinji had known, he wouldn't just be sitting around, talking about it; he'd have caught the nerd in the act and sent him off to the Captain Commander or Central 46.

"Then why do you think he's up to something?" Sometimes, he was sure Shinji just imagined things to blame on his subordinate.

"He always is. He's _devious_, Kensei." Shinji shot the other man a look across the table they were seated at, a small cup perched between his fingers.

Gray eyes shifted to look elsewhere than the heated gaze of his fellow captain. "He seems okay, to me."

"Of course 'e does! That's what makes 'im so tricky!" Jeez, why didn't this guy get it?

Kensei glanced at the bottle settled beside the other man. "I'm not gonna come drinking with you anymore if you don't know when to stop. You're just being paranoid."

"Like hell," Shinji muttered, shoulders slumping into a sulking position. "I'll prove it to ya one day."

"You do that."

* * *

**Prompt**: 024. Isolation

"This is the worst idea the old man's ever had," Shinji decided, practically glaring at the patient brunette across his desk.

"It could be beneficial," Aizen told him, trying for politely optimistic. He had a feeling, to Shinji, it would just sound mocking, which, really, it was.

"I don't wanna get t' know ya," the blonde stated bluntly. "If I did, I woulda, by now."

"That's the entire point of this exercise," the lieutenant reminded, a smile gracing his lips. "Now, would you like to start?"

If he didn't think Aizen would be a total rat, Shinji would have refused to comply, but he knew the suck-up would probably run right to Yamamoto and tell. Not that Shinji would mind too much, and he'd tell the old guy right to his face that a 'get to know your captain/lieutenant better program' was a stupid idea. It apparently had eight stages to it, spread out across a painfully long period of time. The first? Describe the other in three words, then see how much they agree or disagree with them. Stupid. Completely and utterly ridiculous.

"Whatever," Shinji grumbled, eyeing the other up and down for only a moment before the words spilled from his lips. "Suspicious, nerdy, an' a little bitch."

"Are those really the three words you would choose for me?" Aizen wondered, forcing a frown to his lips despite his obvious amusement. "The last one wasn't even a word; it was a phrase. Please, comply to the rules, captain."

"I meant t' say what I said," Shinji grunted, leaning back and stretching his feet out to lay on his desk. "If ya want it in a word, then I'll call ya a pansy."

Aizen's eyes closed and a bit of a smile slipped into his expression. "If that's what you think of me, but I couldn't possibly agree with any of them."

"Did I mention infuriatin'?"

"You were only allowed three, sir."

"An' annoyin'."

"That's five."

"Well, this is the Fifth Division." Shinji paused before giving the other a wary look. "Fine, then, what would ya use for yourself?"

An eyebrow raised lightly at the question. "I don't believe that's part of the task."

"I'm makin' it part of it. Spill."

How would Aizen describe himself? Was there a way to do so and remain humble at the same time? Of course not; Aizen knew himself and knew he excelled in just about everything. He had a feeling if one of his adjectives was 'perfect', though, Shinji may kick him out of the division.

"Adaptable, patient, and well-read."

"I'm changin' one of mine t' borin'," Shinji commented, rolling his eyes. "Ya ain't got no personality with those sortsa words!" Well, he'd already figured that much about the other. "Alrigh', do me. An' if ya say anything bad, I'll kick your ass."

"It can't possibly be honest with a threat like that."

"Oh, right. Add liar t' my list." He wasn't sure what number he was at, by now, but he figured more was better than less.

Aizen was sure if the conversation went on much longer, Shinji would conjure up every negative adjective he knew to label his lieutenant with. "Very well." He paused for a moment, as if to think, though it was purely for superficial value; he'd already known well enough what he thought of the other man. "Confident, strong, and isolated."

Shinji had no problem with the first two, though he was sure Aizen was saying them with a hint of condescension, but the third struck a nerve somewhere deep down and the captain rose to his feet, scowling across his desk. "What was that last one?"

"It seems to me," Aizen began, maintaining his composure even under the other's intimidation, "that you isolate yourself from others, in order to avoid being harmed or let down."

Shinji stared at his lieutenant for a very long moment before wrinkling his nose and turning his head to the side. "Get out."

"Do you disagree?"

"I said get th' fuck out!" It was quite obvious that he didn't.

* * *

**Prompt:** 025. Starve

"Where do ya think you're goin'?" Shinji frowned as Aizen rose from his seat. The sun was still high in the sky and there was plenty of work to be done.

"To lunch, sir. You should take a break, as well."

"Sit back down." It wasn't a suggestion and Shinji gave the other a look that dared him to argue the point.

"You'll deny me a meal?" Aizen wondered, though returned to his seat. He was sure he was being punished for delving so deep into his captain's insecurities.

"Ya can starve for all I care," was the only response and, soon after, the pair fell back into silence.


	6. Chapter 6

A brief warning: Prompt 29 got away from me and ran with the material, so it's far too long. However, each part was like a beloved pet that I couldn't quite cast out and so it all stayed. Enjoy it, regardless of the length.

* * *

**Prompt:** 026. Breakable

"Be careful with that!" Jeez, why did Aizen have to _touch_ everything?

A bit startled at the sudden break in silence, Aizen looked up at his captain before turning his attention back down to the small teapot he had found settled atop his superior's desk.

"I thought you didn't prefer tea?" he wondered, allowing the object to clunk down lightly against the wooden furniture.

"I can't stand the stuff," Shinji told him with a tone that added a silent _duh_ to the end of his sentence.

"Then, why do you have a teapot here?"

Irritation flickered across Shinji's features and he moved to take a seat behind his desk. "Why's it matter? Just take it."

Aizen studied his captain's face for a moment before leaning forward to once again pick the object up. "Thank you for the-"

Shinji's fingers closed around the other man's wrist quickly and he frowned up at him. "Be careful with it," he repeated, catching Aizen's eye, "it's breakable."

The double-meaning was easy to see and as the grip was relinquished, Aizen gave a slight bow of his head. "I'll take good care of it. Thank you again, Captain Hirako."

* * *

**Prompt:** 027. Winter

"Man, I hate winter. All the pretty girls are all bundled up an' it's cold as fuck out."

Aizen quirked an eyebrow, not for the first time wondering what sort of train of thought could have led to his captain's outburst. It might not have seemed so strange, except they were currently seated outside in the warm, spring weather.

"It's not even close to winter, yet, sir."

"It's still gonna come," Shinji insisted with a frown. "Unless ya got a way t' skip past it."

"I don't believe that's possible." Though, for just a moment, Aizen's mind searched around its well of knowledge to imagine how one might skip an entire season. "It will be over with quickly enough."

Shinji slid a glance to his lieutenant, a serious expression coming over his face. "Will ya keep me warm when it gets cold out?" He saw Aizen's body tense as a surprised look cross his lieutenant's face and couldn't hold in the bubbling laughter that spilled from his lips. "As if!"

* * *

**Prompt:** 028. Ignore

"Sousuke."

Silence.

"_Sousuke._"

No response.

"Aizen!"

After a third, futile effort to get his lieutenant's attention, Shinji scowled and promptly shoved a hand in the other man's face, effectively knocking him out of his seat.

"C-captain!" the brunette exclaimed, a bit bewildered by what seemed to him as a sudden assault.

"You were spacin' out an' ignorin' me!" Shinji informed him harshly, though his expression wasn't quite as livid as usual. He attributed it to the alcohol.

Across the table, Kyouraku leaned in toward his best friend. "Do you really think they don't see it?"

Ukitake, who had come purely for the company, joined his companion in smiling at the pair as Aizen took his seat back and Shinji poured him another cup of the bitter liquid. "They really do seem to care for each other quite a bit."

* * *

**Prompt:** 029. Color

After phase one of Yamamoto's eight step program to join the divisions' captains and lieutenants closer to each other, Shinji was hardly ready to venture forward to the second part. He hoped, at the very least, Aizen would know better than to pull some stupid stunt like he had last time. The captain was still a little bitter about it.

Bored eyes scanned the list in front of them before switching to the waiting man across from him. He still had a desk between him and Aizen, but not much else and it didn't feel like nearly enough.

"Alrigh'," he said, finally, dropping the list to the wooden surface. "We gotta tell each other our favorite stuff, accordin' to this list." He wasn't quite sure he wanted Aizen knowing such details, but he figured they were mostly superficial things. Upon the nod of confirmation, Shinji frowned back down at the paper. "Favorite animal?"

Aizen honestly hoped all of the questions wouldn't be so, for lack of a better word, lame. "I like turtles."

"Turtles?" Shinji echoed, wrinkling his nose. "What sorta answer is that? Turtles are stupid."

"Please, give your answer."

"Tight ass," the blonde muttered, pondering the question. Well, he didn't have to give too much thought to these questions; Yamamoto never said he had to be honest with his answers. Or maybe he did, Shinji couldn't recall. "Sharks."

"How exotic," Aizen commented with a faint smile. He wondered if perhaps Shinji related to their teeth, though kept the curiosity to himself.

"Shaddup. Holiday."

"The plum-viewing festival."

Shinji peered across his desk. "Are ya fuckin' with me?"

"Of course not." Aizen seemed legitimately confused.

"Ya couldn't even just say 'flower viewing'? Ya had t' pick the borin' one!" The cherry blossom parties were much more fun, anyway.

"Dumplings rather than flowers, Captain Hirako," Aizen responded with a faint smile.

"Whatever," the blonde muttered, knowing that the following silence was imploring him to give his own response to the prompt. "Gotta be New Year's, of course."

"I would have expected no less."

"Favorite time of day," Shinji replied with a scowl.

"The latest part of the night." It was the only time he really got any peace and quiet or time to himself, which he valued highly.

"Creep," Shinji muttered. Probably so no one could see all the things he did under the cover of darkness. "Early mornin', when the sun's first comin' up." Neither of them needed point out the irony in their responses. "Favorite season? Jeez, old man, who would want t' know these sortsa things in the first place?"

Aizen gave an amused chuckle and sent a glance out the office window. "Late spring."

Shinji picked at his ear, distractedly, and grumbled a low, "Me, too," before narrowing back in on the list. He paused, surveyed the rest of the questions, then dead-panned at his lieutenant. "Favorite sex position."

"That can't possibly be on there," Aizen protested, his face paling slightly.

"Well, it is," Shinji said with a widening grin at his subordinate's nervousness. "What's wrong? Ya don't know any?"

"Captain, please keep to the list."

"Ya really don't!" Shinji threw his head back and let out a loud, barking laugh, silenced only when he felt the paper escape from his fingers. "Eh? Hey! Give it back!"

"For someone who was protesting this so much, you're quite content to drag it out," Aizen observed, a smile of his own coming to play at his captain's quiet huff. Upon scanning the list, he raised an eyebrow. "Sir, you missed the first one. 'Favorite beverage.'"

"What's the point?" Shinji wondered, leaning back in his seat. "We already know that much 'bout each other."

Aizen considered suggesting that perhaps the obvious wasn't the proper answer, but they both knew it would be a ruse. It was something very small, but it was still something, and he nodded his agreement.

"In that case, what is your favorite thing to do?"

"Make your life Hell." The grin that accompanied the answer was teasing, but Shinji offered no corrections to his response.

Aizen was almost inclined to believe him and closed his eyes in a brief moment of amusement. "My favorite thing to do is read."

"Goddamn, do ya just sit around an' _try_ to think of ways t' be as borin' as possible, or does it just come naturally?"

"It's effortless," Aizen assured him, deciding to amuse the other for the time being. The questions were getting a bit more intense and he was sure one of them would tread on another nerve that Shinji didn't want touched. "Place to be?"

"The livin' world." That one was easy. "They're always thinkin' up new things t' do an' ways t' have fun." He eyed the other up and down. "Lemme guess, ya love sittin' behind your desk all day more than anything."

"Only second to following behind you," Aizen assured him and, to the brunette's credit, kept an even tone and straight face the entire time. Shinji even looked, for a moment, as though he might believe the guy.

"This ain't gonna work if ya aren't honest," he reminded the other man.

"And your favorite animal is really a shark?" Aizen wondered.

"Just gimme the next one."

"Your favorite memory."

Shinji was positive that if there was any question he wouldn't be honest about, it would be this one. And he was sure Aizen would return the favor with a falsity of his own, so he didn't feel the least bit bad about his response. "Remember the other day when I punched ya outta your chair in the bar?"

"I'm honored that your favorite memory involves me, captain."

Shinji scowled. "I ain't sayin' that's it!" he recovered quickly, a hand coming up to tug at his hair in light frustration. "I was just thinkin' back on it and considerin' doin' it again."

"Oh?" He had been positive that his response would elicit a slightly more honest reaction from the other man. "Then, what is it?"

Shinji decided to opt for honesty. "The day I became a lieutenant."

The answer piqued Aizen's curiosity, but the intense look he was being given told him that now was not the proper time to ask for an elaboration. After a moment of consideration, he sent the other a smile. "I believe I can share in that sentiment."

"Yeah, right," Shinji muttered, eyeing the paper clutched in his subordinate's hands. "Is that it?"

"One more," Aizen told him, folding the paper as he spoke, "color."

"Somethin' like that at the very end?" Shinji wondered, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling. "Green."

Aizen waited until his captain's eyes found his own again before responding, a pleasant smile spread across his lips. "Red."

* * *

**Prompt:** 030. Grace

Shinji had emerged from his office just in time to see Aizen carefully heading his way, balancing a rather large stack of papers and books. His brow furrowed.

"Sousuke, what the hell's all that?"

"Old records and files," Aizen informed him, peering around the stack. "I thought, since there's very little work today, I would go through them and throw out what we no longer needed."

Shinji snorted. "Why don't ya _relax_ instead?"

"It's nearly the weekend, sir. I'll have downtime then. If you'll please excuse me."

"Whatever." And Shinji couldn't help, as Aizen maneuvered around him into the office, but to stick out a foot and catch the other's leg. He grinned, satisfied, as he heard the other man stumble and fall the rest of the way into the room, promptly sliding the door shut behind himself. "Ya should learn t' be a little more graceful!" he called before sauntering off.


	7. Chapter 7

**Prompt:** 030. Belong

"You're crazy."

"Do you think so?" Kyouraku sent a mischievous smile aimed at his friend. "I'm not the only one that thinks so."

"That just means you aren't the only one who's lost it completely," Shinji informed him, bluntly. "There ain't no way that freak an' I are close."

"I didn't say you were close," the older captain objected, "I only said that you belong together."

"It's the same thing!" Shinji scowled. "Why are ya so insistent 'bout it, anyway? Ain't Lisa the one that pries int' everyone's life?"

"I'm not prying," Kyouraku said in defense, "but you have to agree, just a little bit. Even if you don't say it."

And as Shinji let the conversation drop, he mused over the prospect of him and Aizen belonging together in any fashion. He thought of how, when it had come down to it, they always ended up being there for each other, though Shinji always complained and Aizen always criticized. Mostly, they would both claim it was just coincidence when it never really was. For whatever reason, they wanted to keep each other out of harm's way; keep each other close. To an outsider, it may have seemed as if such actions were born from feelings of caring and devotion, but the pair involved knew for sure it was something darker.

They wanted to save each other so they could personally tear the other man down their self. Maybe they did belong together, after all.

* * *

**Prompt:** 032. Choke

The day had gone by incredibly smoothly and Shinji was wholly satisfied with himself by the time the sun began sinking down in the sky. The main attributing factor to his complacent mood was that he had had very little interaction with Aizen that particular day.

Of course, all good things had to end at some point.

Shinji didn't let the other man's presence alone disrupt his good time and he stared casually over the rim of his cup. "Whadda ya want?" he asked, impatiently, sipping at the hot liquid.

"Captain Hirako, everything has been done for the day," Aizen reported, "and I was wondering if I may be excused a bit early."

An eyebrow shot up at the request and a slow grin spread across Shinji's lips. "Oh? What's up, Sousuke? Ya finally got yourself a date or somethin'?" He really, _really _didn't care, but he could tease the guy about it.

"Perhaps," Aizen said vaguely, "but I have yet to ask the individual if they're available."

"Well, who is it?" Shinji wondered, doing his best to act like he was genuinely interested. He hoped it was someone really uncool.

"You, captain."

The next sip of coffee caught in Shinji's throat and the older Shinigami choked on it, sitting up quickly and slamming the palm of his hand against the wooden surface of his desk. "Wh-_what_?"

Aizen retained his composure, his ghost of a smile gaining just a bit of amusement to it. "I would like to go out with you tonight, if you're available."

Shinji's face lost all its humor in it and he stared, straight-faced, at his subordinate. "Sousuke, really. You're terrible at jokin' around. Save it for the professionals."

"I'm completely serious."

"No, ya ain't!" It simply wasn't an option and Shinji extended a slim finger toward his office door. "Go home an' lay down. Ya musta hit your head or somethin'."

Aizen's expression never waivered, though a hint of disappointment flashed through his eyes. "Are you rejecting me, then, Captain Hirako?"

"Of course I'm rejectin' ya, idiot!" Shinji shouted, flustered above all else. "Get your head on straight! I ain't int' guys, an' even if I was!" Even if he was, he would most certainly never be into Aizen.

"I understand," Aizen said evenly, giving a slight bow of his head and not a single look of offense or pain at the decision. "Pardon the misunderstanding. Have a good evening, captain."

As he was left alone in his office, Shinji let his head thump against the table. So much for a good day.

* * *

**Prompt: **033. Reach

To his credit, Aizen acted the following day as if nothing had ever happened. Shinji was suspicious at first, but then chalked it all up to either a failed prank or, if the other had been serious, trapping whatever odd feelings he had somewhere deep down where they wouldn't interfere with his duties as a lieutenant. Seeing as how Shinji was half-convinced Aizen was some sort of futuristic robot and _couldn't_ feel to begin with, he assumed the former reason.

Either way, he was grateful for the lack of sentiment on his subordinate's behalf considering the task that had been sent out earlier that morning. Each squad was being forced into phase three of Yamamoto's plan and were all assigned simple tasks that didn't require much effort, but involved plenty of teamwork to complete. The Fifth Division had been charged with the task of cleaning out some warehouse that stored training equipment.

"Ya'd think this'd be more up Zaraki's ally," Shinji muttered, crossing his arms and surveying the place.

"Perhaps Captain Commander Yamamoto thought the task too delicate for them," Aizen suggested. Teamwork seemed a bit out of reach of the Eleventh's grasp.

"Whatever," the blonde grumbled and trudged into the warehouse, "does anyone even use this stuff, anymore? Can't we just throw it all out?"

"The other captains still use these things in training for their squads."

Shinji sent his lieutenant an annoyed look. "How do ya even know these things?" Obviously, Aizen wasn't being kept busy enough. "Never mind, let's just get it over with." He took a look around before extending an arm and pointing to a high shelf filled with wooden swords. "We'll start from the top. Pull those down."

Aizen sent a glance to the shelf, which sat at least ten meters above their heads. Another survey of the room revealed that, evidently, there was no ladder for available use. "I don't believe I can reach them, sir."

"That ain't my problem," Shinji told him, already at another wall of the room, sorting through uniforms. "Do these even belong in here?" he wondered to himself, looking up again when a loud crash sounded from where he had left his lieutenant. "Hey, Sousuke! We're s'pposed t' be cleanin' the mess, not makin' it!"

When he received only a tired look, Shinji sighed, hauled himself back to his feet and crossed the room, thrusting a hand out toward the other man. "Guess we really are gonna have t' do this together, if I don't want ya destroyin' the place."

* * *

**Prompt:** 034. Difficult

"So, how is it? Working for someone so difficult to please?"

Aizen glanced up, startled from his thoughts, and immediately moved to stand as he saw a dark-skinned captain leaning over him. "Captain Aikawa," he greeted with a bow.

Love immediately waved a hand at the other. "It's the weekend, Sousuke. Relax."

Aizen's smile faltered only slightly at the other's nonchalance, reminding him far too much of his own captain. "A day off from work is no excuse for a day off from manners, sir."

Love studied the younger man before him for a long moment before letting out a sigh and taking a seat on the ground, motioning for Aizen to join him. Once they were both settled down, he sent another glance to his side. "So, that's how you deal with Shinji? Over-politeness?"

Despite himself, Aizen's smile returned full-force, though he reigned in the amused chuckle he felt in his chest. "I don't know what you mean. Captain Hirako is easy to deal with."

"No one believes that for a minute," Love told him. "Shinji's a terror."

"Everyone has peculiarities," Aizen assured him. "Captain Hirako is simply fickle. There are worse things to be."

"I guess so," Love conceded, letting out a light sigh, "but I think I'd go crazy if he gave me as much crap as he gives you."

After a moment of thought, Aizen finally let out a low chuckle. "I'm sure he thinks I'm just as difficult."

* * *

**Prompt:** 035. Heat

"Sir, if I may ask," Aizen began, a light frown touching his lips, "what is it that you're doing, exactly?"

Shinji glanced up from folding the white fabric of his _shitagi_ and placing it in a pile on top of his _kosode_. "Whadda ya mean?"

"It's the middle of the day," Aizen pointed out. "What if we have a visitor?" He thought to object for his own presence alone, but he doubted Shinji would refrain from anything just because it made Aizen a little uncomfortable; he'd probably be more inclined to do it for that particular reason.

"Like ya said, it's the middle of the day," the half-clothed captain repeated, leaning back in his seat, "an' this heat is killin' me! It's way worse than it was last summer."

"Do you intend to do this every day?" Aizen wondered, keeping his eyes trained nowhere but his captain's face.

"If I feel like it."

A few moments of silence passed and Aizen returned to his work. Though he had made every effort not to stare at the other's body too much, it had been difficult. He had expected Shinji's skin to be clean and flawless. It came as a sickening surprise to the brunette to see his captain's body marred with scars.

* * *

In my opinion, no captain should be without a few scars. It doesn't seem realistic, at the very least.


	8. Chapter 8

**Prompt: **036. Veneer

"I'll kill 'im! Lemme go, Kensei! I'mma rip 'is throat out!"

"I've never seen the idiot so angry!" Hiyori laughed, standing a good distance away from the enraged captain; just a tad closer than the dead man behind her. She grinned and gave Aizen a thumbs up. "Good goin', loser!"

Despite Kensei holding Shinji back and Kyouraku and Ukitake there to make sure Shinji never reached him, Aizen was a little terrified. Especially because he knew his captain held grudges and, unfortunately, this was one he would most definitely be paying back.

"Captain Hirako," Aizen began, but was cut off once again by a slur of curses and an angry glare.

"If 'e opens 'is damn mouth again, I'll-" Shinji let his words drown out in a frustrated shout as a hand came to prod ever so lightly at a very chipped front tooth. "What the hell m'I s'pposed t' do 'bout this? Sousuke!"

Ever helpful, though keeping his distance, Aizen smiled. "I've heard there's a new procedure in the living world that can correct such anomalies. They're called 'veneers'."

"Did 'e just call me an anomaly?" Shinji growled to Kensei, who had finally released him.

"Just your tooth, I believe," Kensei confirmed with a nod. "The chipped one."

"I know which one!" Shinji shouted, shooting another glare at Aizen. "This ain't over!" he declared before storming off.

"My, my," Kyouraku mumured, sending a pitying glance to Aizen, "are you sure you'll be okay on your own, Sousuke?"

Aizen really wasn't sure how to answer.

* * *

**Prompt:** 037. Fall

"The first one t' fall... well, that's kinda obvious," Shinji said, scowling across the narrow plank that stretched from one rooftop to the adjacent one.

"If this is part of my punishment, sir, I really think there are better ways to-"

"Shaddup!" the captain shouted, tightening his grip on his sword's hilt. "An' no releases. The old man'll throw a fit if we destroy the place."

As if a lieutenant would ever be ballsy enough to release his zanpakutou at his captain. Not to mention... "Captain, if you don't mind my saying, you've already taken my sword. I couldn't possibly." His eyes traveled to the green-hilted blade, securely tucked in his captain's waistband before lowering to the ground below where, he knew, explosives had been planted in the dirt. But even if luck had been on his side, Aizen was sure he'd set them off; Shinji had made him plant them, after all, and they were covering literally every foot of ground. They weren't deadly, of course, but they were still going to hurt like a bitch.

Seeming to have forgotten about the sword, Shinji gave a shrug. "Alrigh', then no kido."

Shinji couldn't have made it more obvious that the entire purpose of that particular 'activity' was to put Aizen in a good amount of pain if he'd shouted it from the rooftop he was standing on. Still, Aizen was hard-pressed to object. It _had_ been his fault that the other's face made such unfortunate contact with the very hard ground that broke the tooth. Well, if unknowingly bumping into someone counted as being at fault. When the one doing the bumping was Aizen, and the one being bumped was Shinji, it most certainly counted.

And then Shinji gave the signal to begin and the pair balanced themselves toward each other on the plank. That was, naturally, the easy part and as soon as they met, Shinji withdrew Sakanade from its sheath and aimed a clean slice right at Aizen's head. The lieutenant ducked and was met with another swipe aimed at his left side. That one clipped his uniform, just barely grazing the skin underneath, and he quickly retreated, pivoting his body to stand with his right side to Shinji. He spared the injury no mind, keeping his eyes focused on his captain, but blinked as Shinji changed his position, face more serene than Aizen had ever seen it, and lifted a leg to aim a firm kick directly in the center of his lieutenant's chest.

Aizen wished he'd had time to appreciate just how admirable his captain was while fighting, but the force knocked the wind from his lungs and sent him falling from the plank. One, last glimpse of Shinji sheathing his sword, eyes narrowed only slightly, and he hit the ground with a _thump_.

Moments later, the air filled with the sound of a dozen explosions triggering each other and Shinji finally smiled.

* * *

**Prompt:** 038. Nightmare

After he'd finally calmed down, and given that the addition of a pearly-white veneer really _did_ make his tooth look like brand new, Shinji had felt a smidgen of guilt at just how badly he'd hurt the other man. Of course, he'd never say as much, and he hadn't lessened the other's workload any, but when it came time at the end of the day for the two to part ways, he had hesitated and eventually invited Aizen back to his own quarters for the night.

As Aizen learned, Shinji really went all out for himself. While the lieutenant contented himself with a futon on the floor and a few, sparse pieces of furniture, Shinji's room was elaborate, to say the least. As the captain had claimed as an excuse for inviting Aizen inside, his bed did look worlds more comfortable. Aizen had attempted, once, to argue that Shinji had no place sleeping on a simple futon while he rested in a bed that the captain must have _somehow_ brought back from the living world. Shinji shut him up with a certifiably terrifying look and the two quietly settled down into a restful sleep.

At least, it would have been restful, had Aizen not woken up to rather violent screaming. It wasn't anything he was unused to, but the tone of it was unfamiliar. It wasn't angry, it was _scared_.

Sitting straight up, Aizen's brow furrowed as he realized whatever horror his superior was experiencing must have been in his own head. He watched the other man, face contorted in what looked like the closest thing Aizen had ever seen to agony on his captain's face, gripped at his covers and shouted out into the quiet darkness. There were no words that Aizen could discern, but he was clearly reliving some, brutal memory.

After another moment of decision, Aizen slipped from the bed and knelt down at Shinji's side, a tentative hand reaching out to firmly shake the other's shoulder. He wasn't entirely familiar with nightmares, but he could fathom that being woken from one would make a person violent, if only until reality settled back in.

A clean punch to the face proved him right.

Shinji bolted straight up, eyes wide and chest heaving with short pants. He tangled his fingers in the thin blanket that covered him and attempted to control the shivers running down his spine. It was only when Aizen spoke his name that he realized he wasn't alone, and though he attempted to cover up his obvious distress with his usual indifference- or even a spontaneous bout of anger- his mental exhaustion took a toll on him. Tonight, he wasn't up for faking it.

"Captain Hirako?" Aizen voiced again and started slightly as the smaller frame leaned lightly against his own. He studied the blonde for a moment before awkwardly moving an arm around the other man's shoulders. He knew better than to speak again, and shifted himself back against the side of a very vacant bed. So much for more comfortable.

* * *

**Prompt:** 039. Contagious

"I heard something interesting~" came Kyouraku's greeting.

Disgruntle, Shinji glanced up from his paperwork and raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

The older captain moved himself fully into Shinji's office with his usual grin gracing his lips. "I heard you and Sousuke spent the night together last night, in _your_ quarters."

Shinji's eyes immediately widened and he leaned forward, hands firmly planted on his desk. "Who the hell told ya somethin' like that? It's obviously not what it sounds like!"

"Oh?" Kyouraku wondered. "Lisa told me. Apparently, she was snooping around and spotted you two, last night."

"Damn girl. Can't ya keep a leash on 'er or somethin'?" Shinji huffed and glowered back at his papers. "I was just..."

"Just~?"

"Nothin'! I was just bein'_nice_, okay?"

"My, my," the amusement in his voice grew, "after so long, now you've decided to be nice, all of a sudden?"

"It ain't like that! C'mon, ya know better than that, don'tcha? Or have ya been hangin' out with Hiyori too much? Stupidity's contagious, ya know."

"Relax," Kyouraku said, raising his hands in defense, "I won't spread any rumors."

"An' Lisa?"

"Let me know when you find a leash strong enough."

* * *

**Prompt:** 040. Good riddance

"It's only a simple mission, Captain, don't make such a fuss." Honestly, Aizen was positive he wouldn't even be gone a full day.

"I ain't makin' a _fuss_," Shinji argued, frowning, "but I've been havin' t' take on a lot of the work as it is! Now you're _leavin_'?"

"It won't be for long," the lieutenant assured with a smile, "I'm confident you can survive until I return."

"It ain't about somethin' like that," Shinji muttered, crossing his arms and turning his head to the side. "Fine, whatever. Don't get beat up too bad."

Aizen waited another beat before tilting his head. "Is that all?"

"Whadda ya mean?" Shinji asked, wrinkling his nose. "What else m'I s'pposed t' say?"

"I imagined you would say something like 'Good riddance'."

The blonde waved a hand. "Idiot, I say that _after_ ya leave. Can't do it if ya don't go." But, as Aizen bowed a final farewell and left out of the office, Shinji glanced toward the door with a frown. A moment's thought and he closed his eyes, snorting softly. "Good riddance, Sousuke."


	9. Chapter 9

As you may or may have not noticed, these prompts are going in somewhat of a chronological order, though not a very strict one. Number 41 is an obvious detour from that and should be set alone, but it wrote itself and I was unwilling to alter it at all.

* * *

**Prompt: **041. Goodbye

"Goodbye, Captain Hirako."

Shinji's body tensed at the chills his lieutenant's voice, low and almost _menacing_, sent down his spine. He frowned up at the younger Shinigami and paused in scribbling his signature across a document.

"Ya ain't gotta sound so serious 'bout it," he grumbled. "Ya sound like ya ain't ever gonna see me again or somethin'." The thought that such a notion would even upset Aizen nearly made Shinji snort. "Lighten up, Sousuke."

A smile played across Aizen's lips. "Do I really sound like that, or are you imposing on my tone?"

"Ya really sounded like it," Shinji insisted, dropping his elbows to rest against his desk. "An' what's with the 'goodbye', anyway? Shouldn't it be 'good night?'"

A moment of consideration gave way to a conceding nod in the other's direction. "A poor choice of words on my behalf, then. Good night, Captain Hirako."

"Poor choice of words?" Shinji repeated after Aizen had slipped through the door. He frowned a bit more. "As if."

The next day, a captain's meeting was held in response to the growing threat of mysterious disappearances in Rukongai.

* * *

**Prompt:** 042. Scarred

"Do you have a minute, sir?"

Shinji glanced up from his relaxing position, stretched out along the deck outside of his office, and immediately let his expression drop from curious to bothered. Number one way to ruin a pleasant afternoon for Hirako Shinji: Include Aizen Sousuke in it.

"Whadda ya want?" he asked, turning his attention away from the other man in favor of a more pleasant sight. Namely, anything else at all. "I ain't givin' ya the day off, if that's what you're wonderin'."

Hardly fazed by the attitude aimed in his direction, Aizen kept a patient smile on his lips and moved to sit on the edge of the deck by his superior. "That wasn't what I was going to ask," he assured.

"Then what?" Despite Aizen sitting in clear view, now, Shinji's eyes remained on the sky and the surrounding buildings and, most often, a point in the distance where he could focus so as to appear lost in thought, just in case he didn't like what he was being asked.

"I noticed it before, one day," Aizen began, his own gaze taking in the subtle beauty of their division's grounds, "when you claimed it was too warm to keep properly dressed." He waited a moment before turning his head to search the other man's form. "Your scars."

Even though there was no visible discomfort in Shinji's features, he was mentally shaken by the casual observation. Of course he knew about his scars- could remember where each one came from and how badly they had hurt- and of course he knew Aizen would notice them that day. But he hadn't expected the other man to actually take it to heart or bring it up. He couldn't help the frown on his lips.

"What about 'em?" he asked, offhandedly, not bothering to make eye contact or act as if the subject was of any importance. Though, it took a little too much effort to seem natural.

"Where did they come from?"

Shinji's nose wrinkled and he finally looked in Aizen's direction. "What kinda question is that? They're scars! They come from battle!" He gave an exasperated sigh. "Everyone's got scars, Sousuke. I'm sure even you've got a couple."

"None like yours," the younger man admitted.

For a moment, Shinji considered the underlying meaning to his lieutenant's words. "Scars are scars, right? Even if ya can't see 'em." The smile he received- as if he'd hit the nail right on the head_- _turned his stomach a few times.

Aizen broke the eye contact and turned his head once more. "You are a frighteningly perceptive man, captain."

The compliment did little for Shinji's mood. "Yeah, well," he muttered, letting his eyes close, "they're hard t' hide when ya can't cover 'em up."

* * *

**Prompt:** 043. Last dance

Jazz music did something to Hirako Shinji. Something, frankly, _unnatural_. Perhaps there were some brain-washing mechanisms in the notes, for vocals were not prominent in the melodies floating through the Fifth Division offices and so suggestive lyrics couldn't be blamed. Surely, since it came from the living world, it was highly suspect. Those humans were always doing something vile to one another and this must have been another attack. Specifically, if Aizen had to guess, men's assault on women.

That was the only explanation for the aphrodisiacal effect the music had on his captain. Whenever Shinji put on a record, he instantly became more compliant and receptive to ideas that he would normally deem ridiculous. Doing work, for instance. He claimed it relaxed him, but Aizen had to wonder if there wasn't something a bit more in the works. Especially, one day, when he happened upon his captain practically dancing with himself in his office.

"Captain Hirako..." But Aizen wasn't sure how to continue. It was almost too pleasant to see his captain like this to interrupt it for something like business.

"Eh?" Shinji's head cocked over his shoulder and he let a languid grin cover his face. "Sousuke~" He turned toward his lieutenant and extended a hand, a deep intensity brimming under the surface of his gaze. "Don't look so down. I saved ya the last dance."

Aizen studied the hand for a moment, sent a glance to the papers tucked under his arm, and gave a soft sigh. He decided, as the papers were temporarily traded for his captain's arms, that the humans couldn't have created something more destructive than jazz music.

* * *

**Prompt:** 044. Burn

A day off of work, for Aizen, meant either reflection or planning. He had taken part in quite a bit of the latter during his previous weekends and though he enjoyed accurately predicting every move the pawns in his game would make, his mind implored him to relax for the day. He suspected that, perhaps, it was finally revolting against his will when it plagued him with thoughts of his captain.

They weren't unusual thoughts, but they woke a feeling in Aizen that he hadn't experienced very often. He wasn't sure if it was actual anger or just irritation, but he did know it was dangerous. For the more he thought of his captain, the more he came to realize that Hirako Shinji was not a man to be taken lightly. He was not a threat, per say, but he was more like a disease. A malignant tumor, which sometimes sparked pain and fear in the back of Aizen's mind but never made a serious move to assault or disable the lieutenant. The main source of Aizen's unease was the hovering reality that Shinji was not a temporary figure. Or, rather, that he had been intended to be, but no longer seemed content with staying as such.

The more Aizen thought about it, the more he felt his body tense and his thoughts darken. Shinji was unwelcome in his mind and yet he forced his way in. Aizen's life, overall, was not a place for any other being to make themselves comfortable, and yet that man... that man had _burned_ an imprint of himself into the back of Aizen's eyelids. He had silently, inevitably, perhaps even unknowingly, crept his way into the little fragments of Aizen's subconscious that weren't preoccupied with bigger and better things.

Aizen had respected his captain from day one. Not the forced respect that he was made to show on a daily basis, and not an acknowledgment that Shinji was a greater or better person than he. But the sort of respect that equals of a certain mind showed each other. Shinji had so much potential and Aizen had specifically excluded his captain's involvement from his plans, other than a free pass to avoid bonding, because of that respect.

A light frown touched down on Aizen's lips as he quietly made his decision to subject Shinji to the utmost of his capabilities. It was a great potential wasted, he knew, but too much was at stake. He could not allow the fire in Shinji's soul to burn him any longer, lest his determination be melted away. The pang of loss in his chest was, he swore, the last he would ever feel.

* * *

**Prompt:** 045. Steady

"His breathing is steady, now, but he'll still be unconscious for a while."

"A while? How long's a _while_?" Shinji demanded, eyes narrowed at the captain before him.

Unohana remained passive in the face of a distraught Shinji; she had seen far too many imploring or angry faces in her time and had long ago carefully developed a calm facade that, she hoped, ushered in reassurance and peace. Especially when delivering grave news, such as that of a subordinate's comatose state, she thought a collected presentation was of the utmost necessity.

"That will depend on him," she said evenly with a faint smile, "but your lieutenant is a strong man. I have every bit of confidence in him. You should, as well, and try not to worry so much."

Shinji hesitated at those words and crossed his arms, giving an indignant sniff off to the side. "I ain't _worried_," he objected, "but if that brat dies on me, I'll have a hell of a time replacin' 'im."

A real, and slightly amused, smile took hold of Unohana's lips. "His life was never in danger," she reminded him. Her head inclined slightly toward a door. "You can go and see him, if you'd like."

Shinji's eyes darted toward the door and, for a moment, he seemed incredibly indecisive. Finally, he turned his back to both her and Aizen's room. "Nah," he said in a voice a bit too loud, "he don't need a babysitter or anything. Just send 'im back when 'e wakes up." He sent one more glance over his shoulder. "Thanks, Unohana," he murmured before making his way from the Fouth Division.


End file.
